Hannover 96 have been linked with a quartet of Álvaro Medrán, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Lasse Vibe and Cedric Soares. This follows talk from Dirk Dufner and Tayfun Korkut wanting more cover for an already stretched squad.

Korkut, who has led die Roten to an excellent start this season, emphasised the need for fresh recruits in kicker: We need to see how one or two things develop, not only for the winter but also the summer. It is still not the case that we have a replacement in all positions. An understudy is incredibly important. We have seen that in some cases when even three players have not served us - see left back."

Lasse Vibe, IFK Göteborg winger, has been another name linked with Hannover. The Dane netted an incredible 23 goals in 30 games, leading his club respectable second-place finish and six points behind of eventual Allsvenskan winners Malmö. Just nine goals scored in the Bundesliga means that only HSV have scored less goals than Hannover. So even though coach Korkut is unsure of any January action, a move for Vibe could spark some magic up front and get the front-line firing.

Speaking on Sport1's 'Dopplepass', director Dufner would neither confirm or deny a move for Bayern's Danish youngster, "I think he is an interesting player for Hannover 96. Unfortunately, I can not say anything at this time." Dufner knows that he is not alone in trying to capture the midfielder: "He is certainly a player who is interesting for a lot of clubs in the Bundesliga." Højbjerg himself has eluded to his need for playing time, and with Bastian Schweinsteiger close to a return, it could be a good move for the 19-year-old.

Hannover are keen to add some depth into the central midfield spot, especially with a Leon Andreasen return not looking likely for a while. Álvaro Medrán, talented Spanish youngster, has been linked with the reds. Bayer Leverkusen and Mainz are the two other Bundesliga sides rumoured to be interested, although a move is becoming increasingly unlikely; Medrán is quickly working his way up the ranks at Real Madrid, as well as Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti publicly commending his short cameos for los Blancos.

Hiroki Sakai is the only fit right-back for Tayfun Korkut's men, so Cedric Soares of Sporting could be a valuable acquisition. The defender has put in many solid performances for the Portuguese outfit, both domestically and in Europe, and has raised his stock considerably. A move is unlikely, however. Sporting are likely to command a considerable fee, meaning Hannover will have to look elsewhere for defensive reinforcement.

Quotes via kicker and Sport1.